About remout

Profile Information

More Information

I've been reading, asking questions, and testing my resolve for a year now. It's time for me to get started on my IAV sytem. It will have a 300 gal fish tank stocked with native Channel Catfish.
I have 2 water sources, well water and tap water. Our buildings all have metal roofs so I'd be scared of collecting rain water from them. When I did my bucket tests last year, to validate my sand, I found the following water ph values:
Well water tested 6.4 .
Tap water tested 7.4 .
Please advise me or point me to info regarding water quality and what, if any, steps are needed to start my system up from a water POV.
Thanks!

Am I correct in thinking that pressure treated lumber is okay to use for an IAV grow box? Doesn't the liner protect the sand and water from the chemicals in the lumber? Down side here would be if I tore the liner the sand and water would be contaminated.
My other option is old growth cypress, it's Mother Nature's protected lumber. Insects don't like it and it's very rot resistant. The down side it that it's very expensive.
Your thoughts please!

Thanks for the help guys!
I'll be leveling my area, building my boxes, then getting 900 lbs or so at a time on my little trailer and shoveling it into place. With the sand so close to my house, no use paying for expensive transportation.
One more thought from a beginner on sand. I read river sand is not ideal, however I wanted to see what the wrong sand acted and felt like. I went up the road to our nearby river bank and grabbed some of the powder white sand on the banks. It failed the turbidity test, it was full of clay. It also did not want to let water through.
The good sand looks and feels completely different and now that I've played with the wrong stuff as well as the right stuff I'm beginning to gain some understanding about the heart of the system. I've actually had fun doing this.

Gary,
I did the carbonate vinegar test and there was no bubbling. Thank you so much for your input!
I asked the owner for a price on (2) 10' x 2' x 2' grow beds worth of sand and he replied "How about $50". I think this was influenced by a couple of things. I used him for the foundation on the addition to my old house. He is really interested in these pre 1900 houses and really liked mine. He also was very interested in my IAV project and asked if he could come check it out. I'll get an off the street per ton price from him.

I found ASTM C33 sand at a concrete plant, which also happens to be 1 mile from my house.
I tested it for the presence of clay and it showed none.
I next did the pour through test, adding 1 gal. of water to 4.5 gal. of sand with holes in the bottom of the bucket. The first time, pouring into dry sand, it absorbed almost all the water with less than 1/2 cup coming out the holes in the bottom of the bucket after 1 hours. Subsequent tests were all the same, all but 1 cup of water would drain through in 15 min with the remainder slowly dripping out.
My next test was to see if the sand affected the PH of my water. I have access to the city water system as well as shallow well water.
Well water tested 6.4 and then 6.2 after adding sand to it.
Tap water tested 7.4 and then 6.8 after adding sand to it.
Do you think this sand will work?

You're even further south than I. How do you keep your green house from getting to hot in the summer and burning the plants? I'm trying to figure out where to build mine both direction and related to shade.

Hi, I'm interested in learning and setting up a system at my home in Hammond, La. I'm so new to growing, I don't even know if my thumb is green. I'm challenging myself to see how much of our food needs I can meet for my wife and I.
Resources:
I'm capable of building a house including all electrical, plumbing, HVAC systems
Software developer with device level experience
I live in the Parish, not a city so zoning is not an issue
I'm on the Parish water system. Tastes great, but who knows what's in it?
I just acquired a, recycled, 18' x 30' building, this can be part of the system or not. My first thoughts are to position the building for success, I was thinking of keeping the fish shaded by the building and adding a green house structure on one side for the plants?
Given my location, tough high temps in the summer, how should I approach keeping the plant area cool but also providing enough light?
Thanks!